I hate to ask the obvious, but do you see a Firefox icon open in the dock? Secondly, open the utility, "Activity Monitor" and click on "all processes". Do you see firefox running? If it is, click on it, and then click on the "Quit Process" button.
If Firefox isn't actually running, the first thing I might try is to remove the file, "org.mozilla.firefox.plist" which is located in your Username/library/preferences folder. Just throw it away, and then try to restart firefox. The file you tossed should be re-created.
If Firefox still doesn't want to start, I'd suggest trashing the Firefox application, and reinstalling it.
I hate to ask the obvious, but do you see a Firefox icon open in the dock? Secondly, open the utility, "Activity Monitor" and click on "all processes". Do you see firefox running? If it is, click on it, and then click on the "Quit Process" button.
If Firefox isn't actually running, the first thing I might try is to remove the file, "org.mozilla.firefox.plist" which is located in your Username/library/preferences folder. Just throw it away, and then try to restart firefox. The file you tossed should be re-created.
If Firefox still doesn't want to start, I'd suggest trashing the Firefox application, and reinstalling it.
Checked the activity monitor, nothing strange there. Deleted the plist, got the same message from Firefox. Tried reinstalling it from a dmg I had from an update (full version, just newer than the old one), didn't work. Tried taking the plist from one of my profiles where it does work and putting in the Prefs folder for the profile that didn't work, no success. Tried going the other way, to see if I could make it not work under the profile where it does work, no success there either.
When I try to use version 1.5.0.7 that my Dad still has on his computer, it gives me the message "Firefox is already running, but is not responding. To open a new window, you must first close the existing Firefox process, or restart your system."
Sometimes I think a Windows computer
is simpler!!!
I am going to try downloading a totally new version and installing that.
Do you have any other suggestions?
P.S. The version number of what I use (on the profile where it works) is 2.0.0.1.
I guess I'd try to run a "repair permissions" unless you've already tried that...
Start Disk Utility (in the Utilities Folder). Click on your hard disk icon that shows up, and then click on "Repair Disk Permissions."
Let it run (it may take a while), and then try FireFox again.
(I can't remember...have you totally trashed the Firefox program and reinstalled a new one, or have you reinstalled a new one
over the old one? If not, Trash the program first).
If none of the above stuff works, you might consider re-creating a new user profile (just like the one you currently have), and deleting the profile that firefox doesn't like. That may end up being the easiest solution...
If it still doesn't work (and you've tried the latest version), you could always try to see if Repair Disk helps.
You'll need to book from your install disk by restarting with the install disk in the computer, and holding down the command and "c" keys.
After it boots, you'll get the install menu. Click on the first menu option, and you should see "disk utility." Start the disk utility, select your hard disk again, and click on "Repair Disk." If it comes back with a message that says "disk not repaired", just run it again (and again, until it says Disk OK).
Restart normally and try FireFox again.
If that doesn't work...well, I guess I'm out of ideas...
This is the first results from Repair Permissions:
"Repairing permissions for “SFBCcomp4”
Determining correct file permissions.
Permissions differ on ./Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents /MacOS/InternetUtilities, should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are -rwxrwxr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents /MacOS/InternetUtilities
Permissions corrected on ./Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents /MacOS/InternetUtilities
*We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays. New permissions are 16893
*We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles. New permissions are 16893
User differs on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/PkgInfo, should be 0, owner is 505
Owner and group corrected on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/PkgInfo
Permissions corrected on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/PkgInfo
User differs on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins, should be 0, owner is 501
Group differs on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins, should be 80, group is 501
Owner and group corrected on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins
Permissions corrected on ./Library/Internet Plug-Ins
User differs on ./Library, should be 0, owner is 501
Group differs on ./Library, should be 80, group is 501
Owner and group corrected on ./Library
Permissions corrected on ./Library
*We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions are 33261
Permissions differ on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AP Binary3.dat, should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -rw-r--r--
Owner and group corrected on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AP Binary3.dat
Permissions corrected on ./System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Apple80211.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AP Binary3.dat
*We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/jobs. New uid is 1
*We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/spool. New uid is 1
Permissions differ on ./usr/bin/pstopdf, should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rwxr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/bin/pstopdf
Permissions corrected on ./usr/bin/pstopdf
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib, should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rwxr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib
User differs on ./usr, should be 0, owner is 501
Group differs on ./usr, should be 0, group is 20
Owner and group corrected on ./usr
Permissions corrected on ./usr
User differs on ., should be 0, owner is 501
Group differs on ., should be 80, group is 20
Permissions differ on ., should be drwxrwxr-t , they are drwxrwxr-x
Owner and group corrected on .
Permissions corrected on .
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Permissions repair complete"
The triple starred items are from the second and third times repairing permissions. Should I keep running it until nothing shows up as having been repaired?
Tried trashing the app and recopying it off the dmg. Nothing doing. When I have access to a high-speed connection, I'll see about getting the latest version and trying that.
creating a new profile: Is there a program out there to take settings, files, etc. and move it to a new profile on the same computer?
if it still doesn't work: Fortunately, this is not the profile where I spend most of my online time, and for what I do do, Safari's not too bad. (One thing I do like about Safari is that for a large download, it will keep a temporary file around from one time online to another. Firefox doesn't seem to do that.)
Thanks for all your help. (Would you have any ideas for answers to my questions on these forums?: "http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=914443&tstart=0", "http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=611470&tstart=0", OR "http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=878962&tstart=0")
The items you've 'triple starred' are things that will pop up every time you do a repair permissions... Sort of a bug of sorts, I guess you could say... Don't worry about them!
"creating a new profile: Is there a program out there to take settings, files, etc. and move it to a new profile on the same computer?"
I don't know if there is a program that will do what you want. Personally, I'd copy all the files you need for the new account to the Hard drive/Users/Shared folder. Create the new user account, and then drag the files from the Shared folder to where you want them.
As far as account settings go, I'd just jot down what they are from the old account, and re-input them into the new account. It will be a little work, but probably the easiest thing to do in the long run.
I made a comment on your first listed post...not sure if it's going to be of much help to you, though. Making an archive of the folder before transferring it is probably the best idea (proposed by one of the previous posters). I've seen a very small percentage of items I've transferred from my iMac to my PowerBook get corrupted when transferred without archiving/zipping/stuffing...
